San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-11
JOHN cAsKIE's STORY.


In the bed. and pretty soon De Wlut
awake. | was not nj all nervo {; for, at
my age, at that time. | did not know
from my feelings II d experience what
sort OF thing nervousness was the
truth IL. people In that age, were TOO ro-
bust In health, too TN Of self.reliaDce,
too much Injured to bodily exercise and
too familiar with danger, TO be- troubled
with weak nerves or nervousness Even
the women were not liable to attacks OF
nervousness. And pretty well every one
was prepared 10 echo the saying OF sarah
Jennings, the first Dutchess OF MHrbor-
ough, OF Queen Anne's reign, that "peo.
ole were not born with nerves at the
time she happened to be born" No, ner-
vOusness il the result Ola vicious mode
OF education.
About two O'Clock in the night, rs ]
was lying wide-awake 10 bed, my atten-
ton was attracted TO a portion OF the
room beyond the foot OF the bed, by
very slight noise, which sounded as
though bolt WAS being drawn back by
some one in the room underneath the
one occupied By me, and being resolved
not to be taken at disadvantage, but TO
defend myself at the utmost, | slid
noiselessly from my bed, and selling one
Of NY pistols in each hand, crept under
the bed, and lay Hat upon the floor. But
a few moments passed, before faint
light came into The room from the lower
room, and satisfied me that n trap door
had been raised, and that robDer ana
murderer was about to enter my room.
The idea was not a pleasant one, out the
SITUATION demanded my entire attention.
Re reat WAS impossible. The number OF
my Toes was not TO be conjectured. /
cooked the pistol, which 1 held In my
right hand, and determined 20 fire the
moment the head OF the midnight IN
iruder should appear through the trap.
door, and In n moment. the heau OF
nv landlord rose above the floor ana
discharged my pistol instantly at his
head. There was muttered oath-of
pain and wrarh-the trap door wa
hastily restored TO its position as pnr-
ton of the floor, and ali was Quiet N"
language at my command 10 sufficlentlV
forcible and pictorial 10 convey 10 you
the faintest conception OF what my feel
ings were-had the robbers retired only
10 prepare for an open attack upon me
how macy were they, and now would
they proceed to attack me, were
thoughts that flashed through my mind
with the speed OF the lightning's bolt
when it leaps from u thunder cloud To
earth NV senses OF hearing and sight
we're strained 10 the most painful { n
sion, and | caught low and distinc-
tive whisper, In female voice II am
the girl who waited on the table AT sup
per. and am your friend-l want TO save
your life dress and open your door.
This might be only a device TO throw
me of OF guard and TO gain an entrance
into nv room. but at all events dressed
hurriedly lighted my tallOw candle, by
means of my finder box. and, gently and
nuistltssly, drew back the wooden bar
on the room door; at the same time say
ing, In a whisper, "in case you are N
woman and Il friend, come into the
room bur If you are man and enemy,
| will shoot you 4 you dare 10 enter"
this WAS 10 lowed In u moment bN open
Iug OF the door and the stepping "t
gIrl into the ruOm-' Be- quick and fol
low mp-lOur horse is ready for You.
and you are IN great danger" Taking up
my saddle bag and my boots IN my lefi
naud, ard graspIng n pistol In my rlghi
hand, followed the woman into tne
next room. she crept through
snail window on the roof VI
shed room, mOtIoning TO me TO follow
which | did "a rough ladder led from
NJ shed roof to the ground and having
descended this, my guide walked rap
IdlS through the ward ami out TO clump
If bushes, closely followed By me, and
| iUHnd nv horse, saddled and fast
en- d.
There are parcel Of movers camped
down the road some mile or so, said my
guide, and we must try TO get To their
camp before the pursuers catch us.
Mount your horse"
DO you yourself mean to go with me-"
| asked her.
Certainly; if | remained, should be
killed for what | have dOne-l will ride
behind, YOU" she answered.
We mounted my horse and then L let
him move in q walk for couple OF hum
dred yards, until sharp turn in the
road hid us from observation from per-
sons in the house we had just escaped
from, when | put him at gallop and
pushed forward Pretty soon the clst-
ter of horses feet behind us, gave me
notice that we were being pursued. l
proposed to turn out OF the road and
conceal ourselves in the bushes, but to
this, my guide strongly objected, declar-
ing that our salvation depended on our
reaching the camp of the movers, and
urging me TO increase the speed OF my
| morse by the use of my spurs, the pur-
| sueTs were gaining on us-there was no
Notwithstanding but starlight, so
| that | was unable to discover the num-
| Der of our pursuers. When we had, as
near as could guess, gone about mile
| and a half, the sharp crack OF rifle rang
| out upon the air and in a moment | felt
the blood running down my sleeve, but
fortunately the bone was not
oxen. l asked my guide 'if
the bullet had hit her also,
to which she replied, that IL had not Only
hit her but broken her right arm above
he wrist and that she could no longer
mold on TO me, and urged me TO let her
slide off the horse on TO the ground and
hide herself in the bushes" drew her
form in front of me, and with one arm
grasped tightly around her waist, made
my horse dash forward at top speed. A
couple of more shots were fired at us,
hut they passed harmlessly BY us, and
rhOr,ly afterwards the glea u OF camp
tires could be seen through the trees and
he sound of the voices linen in CONVEX
satiOn were borne TO our ears, and aftel
going few hundred yards further we
were startled by a command TO halt, is
ing from two men standing In the mid
die of the road. | told them We were
pursued b robbers, that we were both
wounded. and that we were trying tC
reach the r camp, and continued ny
flight TO the CamO which WAS consider
ably startled by our sudden advent
Asking one of the men who gathered
around us Ia lift nv guide TO the ground
dismounted, hitched my horse, ant
briefly told them we were being pursued
by robbers ard asked them TO loan mt
one OF their rifles. With rifle In my
| hand and ACCOMPANIED BY two more o